Although the level of competition hasn't been high. the UCLA Bruins have proven that they're going to light up the scoreboard on a nightly basis. Tonight, they get another "cupcake" in the San Diego Toreros and the betting odds indicate this as the Bruins are a 27 point betting favorite. Usually, when laying 27 points, there's concern of "garbage time" not being indicative of the flow of the game, but in this case, the Toreros will have a difficult time containing the Bruins offense, which has produced 221 points in just their first two games of the season.

Bryce's Breakout Season

We don't know how he'll fare on the professional level as Bryce Alford has a game quite similar to his father, Steve Alford, who was a star on the Indiana Hoosiers in the 1980's under head coach Bobby Knight. Much like the elder Alford, knocking down shots is Bryce Alford's speciality and he's gotten quickly out of the gates this season as he leads the Bruins in scoring at 25 points.

This is a player that hasn't met a shot that he doesn't like,but a successful team need's a fearless leader who is willing to take the necessary chances to elevate the status of his team. We can definitely expect Bryce Alford to play well in this intra-state matchup as the Toreros don't have the defense to contain him.

The Bruins also contain a mix of experience and freshman talent in the trio of Isaac Hamilton (19.5 points, 4.5 assists), T.J. Leaf (17 points, 10.5 rebounds, 4 assists), and Lonzo Ball (16 points, 8.5 assists, and 8 rebounds). This team is loaded with talent and 27 points is no concern with an explosive offensive that can produce triple digits on some nights.

Look for Toreros guard Olin Carter III to attempt to keep San Diego in this game as he's leading the team with 16 points per game. Carter III isn't afraid to hoist up the 3 ball as he averages 8.5 attempts per game, but he doesn't have the support on this team to make this game competitive. Take the Bruins as we should see another blowout as your NCAA Basketball pick.

That's the question here as the 4th ranked Oregon Ducks were upset in just their 2nd game of the season quite handily by the Baylor Bears, 66-49. The Ducks offense simply couldn't get anything going as they were outplayed in all categories. They shot a dismal 14.3 % from 3-point range and if they play like that here, they could be in trouble as the Crusaders are no pushovers. Normally, I wouldn't touch this game, but Valpo looks like good value here, getting the 13 points in the NCAA Basketball odds.

No Dorsey, No Win

One player that's expected to bounce back is leading scorer Tyler Dorsey. The sophomore guard shot really poorly against Baylor and finished the game with 9 points in 33 minutes of action. The Ducks need more production and efficiency from Dorsey or they could be in trouble.

Forward Jordan Bell bring's a much-needed presence in the middle as he's an outstanding defender and rebounder. Bell is averaging 11 points and 9.5 rebounds and is also coming off of a 4 block effort in the loss to Baylor. I expect him to put up similar numbers as he's a productive player, but not a player that will look for his offense first. Expect Oregon to play much better in this game, but they will be tested.

Alec Peters and Shane Hammink

This combination should really concern the Ducks as they've had a ton of success in the first 3 games this season. Peters has it all, except for 3-point shooting efficiency. He's a volume shooter that could put up in excess of 20 shots in this game. For the season, Peters is averaging 26.3 points and 10.3 rebounds per game. I look for him to produce in this game as Oregon could still be reeling from their loss to Baylor.

Senior guard, Shane Hammink is an efficient shooter and he presents great size at the guard position at 6 foot 7. Thus far this season, the Netherlands product has done quite well for himself, averaging 18.7 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game. This could be a breakout season for the former LSU transfer and this Valparaiso Crusaders team could sneak up on some teams and outproduce what they were predicted to do. I like Valpo in this game. Oregon would be just happy to win the game and 13 points is a significant number.